The women's soccer team did almost everything right Wednesday night at home but still fell to Boston University, 1-0.
The Bears shut down BU's offense and made countless runs up the flanks, but BU scored at the start of the second half to provide the winning margin. The loss dropped the Bears' record to 0-4-1 on the season.
Head coach Phil Pincince emphasized that the team's play was good enough to win.
"After the game, I told the girls to hold their heads up," Pincince said. "While it wasn't the result we wanted, it was a great soccer battle and a strong performance."
The first 20 minutes of the game saw BU apply consistent pressure to the Bears' defense. Goalkeeper Steffi Yellin '10 made a save on a Terrier forward in the 18th minute, her only save of the first half. At the other end of the field, forward Lindsay Cunningham '09 threatened as she attempted a pair of volleys on bouncing balls, but neither found its mark.
"In the first 20 minutes, they were going like gangbusters," Pincince said. "But we got a little momentum back at the end of the first (half), and the second half was really wide open."
The BU attack in the first two minutes of the second half seemed harmless as the Terriers tested the Bears' defense with long balls in the air that were met by the heads of defenders Julie Wu '09 and co-captain Kerrilynn Carney '08.
But after an attempted clear by Brown, BU's Mara Osher collected the ball above the 18-yard box and launched a high shot toward the Bears' goal. The 5-foot-4-inch Yellin leapt and deflected the ball off the crossbar, but the ball spun back into the net after bouncing straight down on the goal line.
For the rest of the half, the Bears were on the offensive. Brown spread the field effectively and played a number of balls down the right wing to midfielder Anne Friedland '08. Friedland and others struck some dangerous crosses, but the Bears were unable to break free in front of the net.
"Our coaches always encourage us to play up the flanks because there's much more space to the outside," Friedland said. "And obviously I like it when we play it out there."
Most of Brown's chances came on free kicks. Carney bent a pair of free kicks that curled perfectly into the box, but the Terriers' defense was too tough. Brown's best chance to score came in the 54th minute when Cunningham struck a low shot to the far post from the left side that required a sprawling save from goalkeeper Janie Reilly.
While the Bears have scored only one goal in their first five games, Pincince said the team's offense is improving every time out. The offense is still learning behind Cunningham, who is the only experienced forward on the team. While the team clearly misses the scoring punch of graduated All-Ivy forward Kathryn Moos '07, Pincince said the forwards are doing a great job.
"Our offense is still an area where we're working on, and they worked their tails off tonight," he said. "What I really liked is that everyone that came off the bench had an impact no matter how much or little time they played."
Tonight, the team will square off with Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Demon Deacons play in the Atlantic Coast Conference - a league that regularly boasts some of the top competition in the country - but Pincince remarked, "In order to be the best, you have to play the best."
The Bears then have one more game before they open the Ivy League season at Columbia on Sept. 28.
"Obviously, it's been a tough start," Friedland said. "But with Ivies coming up, I think we still have time to put it all together."
